Prom Drive Benefits At-Risk Students

Volunteers from Designing Women South Bay spent the weekend at the , formal dresses and formal menswear for underprivileged high school students.

On Saturday, volunteers saw a steady stream of people, with some people lining up before they even opened the doors of the old storefront near Nordstrom, said Janice Kurihara, the president of Designing Women South Bay.

This was the second year the clothing drive was held at the Galleria, Kurihara said. "They've been so generous—they let us use this space here."

All day, volunteers accepted tax-deductible donations of dresses, shoes, belts and handbags for young women and shoes, ties, cummerbunds, belts and other formal attire for young men. By mid-Saturday afternoon, more than 75 dresses adorned the once-empty racks, and more than a dozen shoes—some never worn—and other items were set out on a table in front.

The outfits will be distributed at a series of "Dream Girls and Distinguished Gentlemen" workshops, scheduled for March 10 in Irvine, Kurihara said.

The event provides invitees with "whatever you need to go to the prom," she said. "But not the limo. We don't do the limo."

Area high schools will send a total of 150 at-risk seniors who might not have the opportunity to go to Prom because of the costs attached to the event, Kurihara said. The event includes an etiquette workshop, "shopping" time for formal wear and a fashion show.

Designing Women South Bay is part of Working Wardrobes, an organization that provides career training, job placement assistance and wardrobe services to people in financial need.